John 15:2 (NKJV) 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.
Pruning is something that most people never think about, unless they deal with plants on a regular basis.
But pruning is important to us, followers of Christ, even if we never own a single plant in our entire lifetime.
Why? Because pruning is what helps us grow and keeps us healthy. Pruning cuts off and removes things that we don’t need or that are unhealthy for us.
Sometimes pruning can hurt. It can be painful. After all, something that’s part of us is being cut off. But once the pain subsides, we will feel much better!
Think of it like surgery. We have something wrong and the doctor surgically removes it… cuts it out. The few days immediately after the surgery can be pretty painful. But over time, if we follow the doctor’s instructions, we heal and feel so much better. And we’re glad we did it.
With God, He also cuts things off and cuts things out. And yes, it can hurt. In fact, it can hurt pretty badly sometimes. And sometimes we might even get mad at Him because we don’t always want Him to cut off the things He cuts.
But He knows what’s good for us better than we do. And like a good father, He always does what’s best for us, even if we don’t understand or want Him to.
So don’t be surprised if God does some occasional pruning and He cuts some stuff (people, things, jobs, etc.) off from us. And don’t be surprised if it hurts when He does it.
But trust Him when He does it. Follow His leading and He will heal us in time. And we will be much better for it.
Pastor Curt & Pastor Ellie
Seven Seas Ministries
P.O. Box 272
Bradford, RI 02808
401-315-0902
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